Madness at Midgar High
by PlayLaughNerd
Summary: Cloud Strife is the new kid at Midgar High, a school for rich kids. What madness will ensue when he goes out for quarterback of the school's football team? Cloti, Zerith, and Yuffentine are the main pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own anything!**

**Lots of Cloti, Zerith, and Yuffentine! (And gay CidxBarret...yeah. I just. Don't even ask.)**

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><p><strong>Midgar High<strong>

**1**

Cloud Strife breathed in the musky smelling air of the parking lot at Midgar High school, which stank of kerosene. The school was huge; three storeys of hectic kids and boring classes—unlike his previous school: Nibelheim Secondary. A small place, fit for a small town.

It was the first day of his last year, and he had to start it at a completely new school, in a totally new town—where people already had four years to strike up great friendships with one another. He didn't know _anyone_ there, and much to his dismay, he had to wear a shoddy uniform. Navy blue blazer, white dress shirt, and black pants. Oh, and who could forget the ugly striped tie that was tight around his neck.

He knew the second his father had dropped him off at the front, that nearly everyone at that school was filthy, stinking, rich—even for a slummy area like Midgar. He even saw one student pull up on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. To Cloud's surprise, the person riding it was a girl.

A very pretty girl at that. Her black hair fell past her shoulders, her dark eyes wide and searching for someone.

She waltzed right by Cloud without taking notice of him staring at her. She waved to two other people standing by the big front doors: a tall, raven-haired guy standing beside a shorter brunette girl.

"Heya, Teef!" Cloud could hear the guy yell from across the parking lot. Together, the three of them entered the school. And, as more people arrived, Cloud thought it to be a good idea to follow them.

The outside of the school was absolutely nothing in comparison to the inside. It was _huge_. The hallways were twice the size of the ones at his old school, and the floors _shone_. Of course in just a few hours, they would be scuffed by the fancy shoes of the students and teachers, but it shocked Cloud to see such a fancy interior.

Right in front of him was the office, and to his right was a bench on which a boy sat reading.

There were people everywhere: leaning against the lockers further down the hallway, lining up outside of doors, sitting on the staircase a few feet away. And, from where Cloud stood, he could just see the cafeteria and how packed it was.

He could hardly even hear himself think over all of the chatter. Cloud tightened his grip on his backpack and headed to the window of the office, where a receptionist sat prudently. "Uh. Ma'am. I'm new here could you—"

"Sh!" She sharply said.

All of the sudden, the P.A. system beeped and a gruff voice came through the speaker overhead. _"Hello students of Midgar high! This is your principal Hojo speaking, and I would like to advise you all to head to your homerooms. Now. Have a wonderful first day, and a fabulous year, students!"_

Cloud was immediately bombarded by the rushing people, and shoved back outside of the doors in all of the craziness. He managed to make his way back inside, only to find the receptionist gone and the halls half empty. _How the hell did they all get out of here so fast? Jesus._

He looked around, noticing a few people passing by. _Crap. Where the hell do I go?_ He thought.

As the students began to file into their designated classrooms, and the population of the halls grow scarcer and scarcer, Cloud began to grow frantic. He walked up to random people asking: "Where do I go?" Of course they all looked at him as if he were a lunatic.

A deep voice came from behind him after he'd been shoved away by the fourth person. "What's your name?"

Cloud turned around, finding the tall, thin guy with long, black hair who had been reading on the bench a second ago speaking to him. "Strife."

"Grade?"

"Twelve."

"Come with me. We're going to the same place," he said and led him down the hallway.

They passed the two-level library along the way, turned a corner and passed about ten other classrooms. Then, the boy stopped in front of a blue door, with a small square window at face-level. The sign above read: _Mathematics, Ms. Crescent._

Cloud followed him inside, seeing as there were about thirty other kids inside already.

The guy who'd taken him there immediately walked to the back corner of the classroom and took the desk farthest from the door. He pulled out his book, put his feet on the desktop, and began to read again.

"Vincent, how nice of you to finally join up," the teacher said. She was a sweet looking woman; there was something motherly about her, Cloud thought. "And, Mr.—"

"Strife."

"Oh, Strife. Take any seat available. We're handing out schedules now." The woman instructed.

He nodded and made his way to one of the front-row seats. He could feel the kids behind him staring; wondering who he was. It seemed to him that, no matter the size of the school, everybody still knew everybody.

In only five minutes, the buzzer rang, meaning it was time to head towards first period classes, where the students would get their lockers. And, according to Cloud's timetable, he didn't have to go anywhere. His first class was, in fact, Mathematics 12 with Ms. Crescent.

Most of the students left the classroom, but he noticed that the guy—Vincent, she'd called him—didn't move an inch. He remained, unmoving, in his seat.

A bunch of new people fled in, happy smiles on their faces, knowing that they were with their friends. Cloud straightened his posture when he saw the Harley Davidson girl walk in (unfortunately with her two friends, and a newbie—a talkative girl, with short black hair).

They sat themselves around Vincent, and the newest member of the "group" sprung onto Vincent. She pulled him into a hug, to his noticeable reluctance.

The bell rang again, and Ms. Crescent shut the door of the classroom. The slam silenced the students. She wrote her name on the chalkboard and faced them with a smile. "Well, class. I recognize almost all of you here. But, since some of you aren't such familiar faces, I think—"

_No, Gaia, no._ Cloud winced. _Not one of _these_ classes._

"We should all introduce ourselves, and talk about one thing that interests us. I'm Ms. Crescent, as you can see on the board. Now, let's start in the corner. Mr. Valentine."

"I can't see the point if you already know who I am."

"_Vinnie, c'mon!"_ The girl who had hugged him whispered.

He sighed, swung his legs around, and stood up. "I'm Vincent Valentine. _Not_ Vinnie, or anything _other_ than Vincent—"

"_Yeah, but it's fine when your _girlfriend_ calls you Vinnce, huh?"_ One of the guys said. Vincent glared, but Cloud couldn't see the person he was looking at.

"I like the quiet, and to be alone," he finished, sitting back down quickly.

The person in front of him stood up enthusiastically. Cloud recognized him to be the hot girl's friend from earlier. "Zack Fair. I'm sure you _all_ know that already, though—right? I like sports, food, and—huh—I guess that's just about it."

"_And girls."_ Someone called.

Áh, that's right. Can't forget the ladies."

Ms. Crescent waved him down, signalling for him to stop. "I think that's enough, Mr. Fair.

"Aerith Gainsborough," the next girl began quietly, but Cloud couldn't hear after that. He was waiting for the motorcycle girl's turn—nothing else.

And then, she stood, receiving a few _whoops_ from the other boys in the class—including that Zack Fair guy. "Tifa Lockhart. Aside from school, I like to spend time with my friends, or practicing martial arts."

Cloud turned around in his seat, heart pounding, and blood rushing to his head. _Tifa_. Her name rang like a bell inside of his mind.

For a few minutes, he tried to calm himself down and keep his cool. By doing so, Cloud wasn't aware that it was his turn to speak.

"Mr. Strife?" Ms. Crescent asked.

He shook his head, stopping his train of thought. "Uh," he got up and spun around to see everyone's eyes were fixated on him alone. "I'm Cloud Strife. I just moved here from Nibelheim."

There were a few audible laughs.

Cautiously, Cloud continued. "I guess I like football and, uh…motorcycles. That's about it."

The rest of the class was spent on receiving textbooks, and assigning lockers, which were given alphabetically. Cloud was given one near another classroom door, parallel to a window looking out at the courtyard, and beside Vincent Valentine.

"If I arrive at school, and your locker door is blocking mine, I will hit you with a textbook," he said calmly. Most people would have been joking, but Cloud knew that Vincent was dead-serious. "Other than that, I don't care what you do."

He nodded. "Duly noted."

Vincent turned to the inside of his locker, stuffed his pack inside, and slammed it shut. After snapping a lock on it, he walked over to his four friends he'd been sitting with in class.

There was only one more period before lunch, thankfully. Cloud checked his schedule once more, and found that he had gym. _Mr. Hewley. East Gym._ "_Two_ gyms? Holy crap. They should at least give new kids a damn map."

Cloud dropped his math textbook into his locker, not taking his eyes away from the white piece of paper.

"Where are you going?" He heard Vincent ask him from behind, just like before. When Cloud turned to see him, he was surprised to see his hand interlaced with that of—

"You should really stop sneaking up on people, Vinnie. I think it scares them."

"Quiet, Yuffie." Vincent harshly whispered. "Where are you going?"

"East gym." Cloud said, keeping his tone level with Vincent's.

"Head towards the cafeteria. Keep going straight, turn right, and you'll see two doors. Take the one farthest away from you. East gym."

Cloud tried to thank him, but Vincent turned the other way and replied with a quick "_Whatever"_.

The gym was like any other: big, cold, bleachers, and basketball marking painted on the floor.

It wasn't a co-ed class, and Cloud suspected that the girls were in the other gym at that very moment.

This time, the class had only twenty students, all of whom were seated on the green bleachers waiting for the bell to ring. When it did, a very tall black-haired man emerged from the storage room.

No one was wearing their gym strip—not even the teacher—though he did instruct them to bring it for next day. "We don't have anything to do this class. And it would be pretty cruel to make you all do laps in your uniforms, huh? So, I guess you can just do whatever you want 'till lunch."

_Great, maybe I can leave._

"Hey, you're the new guy from Nibelheim, right?"

_Damn. Maybe not._

When Cloud looked at the speaker, he saw it to be the fresh-faced Zack Fair from his math class. "Remember me?"

"What do you want, Zack?" Cloud asked monotonously.

"Jeez, you sound like Vince. Just thought that you looked lonely all by yourself over here. I mean, you're not talking to anyone."

Cloud smiled for the first time that day. "And you don't have any of your friends here, either—so you resort to me."

Zack held up his hands defensively. "Just trying to be nice and you go accusing me of using you for company! How rude." He laughed. His black bangs that framed his face fell into his piercing blue eyes, and with a huff he blew them back into place. "You know, you should come have lunch with us. Y'know—meet the rest of the group. I could maybe show you around, if Vince hasn't already. Saw you two talking earlier. I'm sure that everyone would be glad to see you."

He accepted Zack's generous offer, grateful of having someone to talk to now. "Was that everyone you eat with back in Ms. Crescent's class?"

"Mostly, yeah. There are a few others, but they're not super tight like the rest of us. But, hey! That reminds me, you should try out for the football team. You said you liked it, right? We could really use a few new guys."

"Never said I was any good," Cloud grinned.

Zack looked around at his classmates. "Pry better than half of the wimps here." I'm the school's wide receiver. Do you have any special position?"

"Quarterback most of the time."

"Oh, jeez." The smile faded from Zack's face.

Cloud furrowed his brow. "Why? Is that a problem?"

"Uh—we had all of this drama last year with our quarterback. He was a real primadonna. Always wanted to make the plays himself, and he told Coach Angeal what to do." Zack explained. "Of course he and his brothers wouldn't get into any trouble, since their dad's the freaking Vice Principal. Disgusting. It's the only reason they're not banned from tryouts. There are three of them…the brothers, I mean: Loz—he's the other wide receiver; Yazoo—just a waterboy, but _never_ drink it. Once he drugged it so the other guy who was going out for QB had to be taken to the hospital; and Kadaj. The quarterback. He'll do anything to get that position. He's great, too, unfortunately. But if you're better, Cloud, then you'll get to play on the team and that loser'll be gone. Problem solved." Zack patted him on the back. "Please be good."

Still shaken by what Zack had told him, Cloud warily stood up when the bell rang. He followed Zack all through the hallways and to the cafeteria. Along the way, Zack didn't stop talking about how all of his friends were: "gonna love you", or "football tryouts are on Tuesday—don't forget!"

He grabbed a tray, just half listening to Zack's incoherent ramble. Just after they made it out of the lineup for food did Cloud notice the enormous amount of food Zack had on his tray. Enough for two people, almost.

Zack led the way to a table away from most of the madness in the cafeteria, where everybody else was seated. "Hiya, guys! I brought Cloud with me. From math, remember? Thought it'd be nice if he joined us. He dropped his tray down beside Aerith's at the end of the table and claimed his seat. Cloud instinctively sat down beside Yuffie.

"Oh, hi!" She exclaimed. "Didjya make it to your class? Hm?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, thanks again."

"Anytime!" Yuffie grinned.

Then his eyes fell on Tifa, who was beside Aerith on the other side of the table. She was staring right back at him. Though before much else could happen, a seemingly annoying redhead threw his tray next to Zack's, making him move down on the bench. "Hey, yo! Miss me?"

A very calm and collected black guy took his place beside Cloud, not saying a word.

"Tifa! Lookin' good today, yo!" The redhead winked.

Tifa rolled her eyes, yet still had a smile on her face. "Shut up, Reno."

He brushed off the insult and turned to Aerith. "Hey there."

The clatter of Zack's fork hitting the tabletop broke everyone's attention. "Uh—" He became somewhat flustered for a moment, and then recollected himself. "Reno, Rude—meet Cloud. He's new."

The three of them exchanged awkward glances.

"Cloud, this is Rude, and _that_ is his brother, Reno," Tifa gestured crudely towards the loud-mouthed redhead. When she saw Cloud's questioning look, she laughed. "Step brothers."

"Way to be nice about it, yo."

"Rude's dad, Barret, and Reno's dad, Cid got married and, here we are." Tifa frowned at Reno once more before turning back to her sandwich.

Aerith smiled at Cloud. "It's nice to meet you. Being the new kid in Ms. Crescent's class must have been pretty rough. She really likes to get to know her students."

"It's embarrassing." Vincent muttered.

"I think that it's nice." Aerith sighed. "I mean, it's how _we_ all found each other, isn't it?"

"No way. You hung out with Teef, and we all wanted to get into her pants, so we hung out with you, too." Reno said.

"Boys." Tifa groaned.

"Zack! Is that true?" Aerith looked at him with sad eyes.

He casually laughed it off. "Maybe for Reno. But, come on, Tifa's like my sister. She's one of the guys." Zack threw Cloud a look of relief when Aerith was smiling again.

The rest of the day flew by, seeing as Cloud had at least some of his new friends in his last two classes. Aerith and Vincent were both in his Chemistry class, and Tifa and Rude were in History with him.

When the final bell rang, Tifa and he walked back to their lockers together (Rude's was on the top floor with Reno, near the Accounting class).

"So, do you want to hang out sometime? With the others? Get to know _everything_ about us, and even _become_ one of us weirdoes? We're gladly accepting new members." Tifa said as they neared their blue lockers. "Oh, look. Aerith's flirting with Zack again. He's totally oblivious, you know. I _can't_ believe he hasn't made a move. We've all known each other since sophomore year. I just hate it when guys don't tell girls what they really feel."

Cloud stopped at this locker, open-mouthed. Vincent tried to stifle a laugh. "What?"

"Nothing." He slammed his locker shut.

"Hey, Cloud! Vinnie!" Yuffie squealed, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Vincent sighed and put his arm around her shoulder. "Are you coming over the Aerith's house? It'd be fun! Come on!"

"Don't smother him," Vincent said. "Maybe he doesn't want to engage himself in our strange antics."

Zack, who had overheard the short conversation, thumped Cloud on the back. "Yeah! You should come with us. I mean, unless you have something else to do. Or, maybe you just don't want to…"

"No way. I'll go with you guys." Cloud happily said.

Together, the six of them walked out to the school's parking lot. "It's just a short walk away," Aerith told him. "But Tifa takes her bike anyways."

"To impress the guys," Zack added. "She really likes to show off."

Just before they left school grounds, Cloud saw a group of three motorcycles all parked side by side. "Whoa."

"Yeah. Those are the guys I told you about's bikes. Remember? Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj."

As Zack spoke, three silver-haired guys mounted the bikes and, without helmets, they tore off down the road. They obviously weren't going the speed limit, but it wasn't like there were any police officers who cared.

"Don't get on their bad side," Vincent murmured. "They have quite a bit of power at our school…"

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><p><strong>I still have more characters to introduce (Tseng, Cissenei, Seph, and Genesis! Coming soon!)<strong>

**R&R please, you guys! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wahoo! Chapter 2 finally up! After all of my slacking off and nonstop Crisis Core playing (I am actually too sad about his death to even think about it). Cid and Barret fans please hang on—they're coming in soon! And please don't judge my awful Cloti, I'll get the hang of it sometime! R&R beautiful fic readers!**

**I don't own anything!**

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><p><strong>2<strong>

It was three O'clock PM, and Aerith's mother was out at work, leaving Cloud and his five friends alone for the time being.

They all sat in various seats in the rather large living room: Vincent and Yuffie shared one of the armchairs; Zack and Aerith on the couch; Tifa in the other chair, and Cloud seated on the arm uncomfortably. His back was stiff, and he was unsure of what, exactly, he was doing there.

The television was switched on, but no one was really watching. Suddenly, Zack clapped his hands together. "Who wants to go to the park for a game of soccer? Anyone coming?" He jumped up from the sofa energetically.

"So we can score like thirty goals on you guys again?" Tifa winked at Aerith, who giggled. "Sure. I'm in."

"I have no interest in sports." Vincent coolly stated.

Zack faced him. "Come _on_, Vince. Loosen up a bit. You'd pry love it."

"There is no way you'd get me to kick a ball around for a few hours in order to entertain myself." He said it so surely, Cloud thought that the conversation would have ended, but Zack kept pressing him.

"What if I left you alone for a week?"

He considered. "No phone calls at midnight?"

The boy crossed his heart, holding his hand up. "I swear. No phone calls at midnight, no emails with jokes—nothing like that."

"Fine." Vincent muttered, crossing his arms. "But if I kick the ball and it hits your head, it's not my fault."

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><p>After they had changed out of their school uniforms into more suitable clothing (Cloud had borrowed a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from Zack), the six made their way to the park a while away.<p>

There were two metal goals on either side of the muddy field—not even sturdy ones, at that. They didn't have a net or anything to catch the ball with.

"How's this going to be? Girls against guys?" Tifa asked. "Since we smoked your ass last time, Zacko."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I guess it'd work. Teef, Aerith, and Yuffie. Me, Cloud, and Vince." Zack nodded. "Alright. Let's do this!"

It was decided that Yuffie and Vincent would act as their team's goaltenders, whilst Cloud, Zack, Aerith, and Tifa would play as the forwards. The ball was placed at what looked like the centre of the field, and Tifa immediately gained possession of it.

She booted it to Aerith, who would have had a clear shot of the net if it weren't for Zack in her way. "I'm sorry to have to do this, Gainsborough." He grinned, kicking the ball from her to Cloud. "Go for it!"

Cloud dribbled the beat up soccer ball through the mud and clumps of grass, but when he tried to take a shot on the goal, Tifa jumped in the way. She winked at him, passing it once again to Aerith.

The game went back and forth for quite a while, and remained scoreless all that time.

It was drawn to a sudden close when the three silver-haired triplets stood in their way. "Playing a game and you don't invite us?" Cloud couldn't tell if it was Kadaj or Yazoo speaking. "I see you brought the Nibelheim kid with you."

They sneered at him. "Go back to where you came from, outsider. None of us want you here." This time Cloud was certain that it was Loz who spoke. He was the only one with short hair.

The three boys shoved him all at once, making Cloud fall onto his back. When he sat up, he could feel that Zack's shirt was covered in mud now.

"Leave him alone," Tifa shouted. She ran to Cloud's side and helped him up.

"Oh, what? You're getting your girlfriend to defend you now, Nibelheim?"

Before the three of them could do anything to Tifa, Zack stepped between them, hands on his hips. "If you even try anything I'll beat the shit out of you. Back off."

"Ooh, Fair. You're so _scary_." The longer haired one laughed. "Move aside so we can talk to the new kid."

Loz raised his hands to push Zack out of the way, but a whirling soccer ball hit him on the back of the head. He turned around and saw Vincent scowling at them.

"Not a very wise idea to beat up on someone when you're strongly outnumbered," Tifa spat, still shielding Cloud from them.

"Let's just _go_. Loz, Yazoo, come on."

They turned on their heels, heading towards their motorcycles that were parked not too far away from the field.

"Nice shot," Zack said to Vincent.

He nodded. "Thanks. Maybe we should go before they come back with a knife or something."

"That sounds like something they would do," Yuffie sighed and picked up the ball from the ground. "Besides, it's getting late. We should all go back home."

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><p>It was Tuesday, and for the entirety of the school day, Zack would not cease to talk about the football tryouts. Even Aerith, who would normally listen to his banters, began to get sick of it.<p>

"Could you shut up about the damn sports?" Reno asked at lunch. "We're not even halfway through the day and you've already drove me around the bend, yo."

"Sorry for being enthusiastic about something." Zack said. "But you're coming, right, Cloud?" He smiled widely at the blond who sat in front of him at the table.

"Well, duh. If I didn't you'd pry castrate me or something, wouldn't you?" Cloud laughed. "I brought cleats, just like you said."

"Woo! We're gonna have so much fun on the team, buddy. You an' me…and Kunsel. Speaking of Kunsel, have any of you guys seen him lately?" Zack looked around the cafeteria.

"Who's Kunsel?" Cloud asked Yuffie beside him.

She put down her fork and faced him. "They're friends. But not really tight. They mainly hang out at football practice, so you probably won't see him until after school."

Their conversation was stopped by a redheaded girl and dark haired boy approaching their table.

"Hey, guys. Zack." He eyed him strangely, a hint of distaste in his tone.

"Tseng. What's up?" Zack asked, putting his hands behind his head and raising his eyebrow. "Can't some friends enjoy their lunch in peace?"

Reno sighed. "I'd rather hear what this guy's got to say than hear another one of your football talks."

The girl smiled pleasantly. "We just wanted to tell you that there's a student council meeting tomorrow at lunch. You should all come, it'll be good to have you." She noticed Cloud. "Oh, hi. I'm Cissnei. You must be new, or I would have recognized you."

He nodded. "Hi, I'm Cloud. From Nibelheim."

"Well, you should come tomorrow, too. Bye, guys," Cissnei waved and left with Tseng.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm not gonna go." Zack picked up his sandwich and shrugged. "Can't _stand_ that guy."

Tifa laughed. "I'm sure even Cloud noticed."

Cloud looked up from his red tray. "He seemed alright to me."

"Tseng's always hitting on Aerith," Rude spoke for the first time. "That's why."

"_Rude."_ Zack shouted. Aerith stared down at the table, but Cloud could see that she was smiling slightly.

"My apologies."

"Ugh, and that's _not_ why, anyways." Zack crossed his arms. "I mean, he's dating Cissnei and he's still hitting on Aerith. Come on. That's just…that's just—"

"Nah, I think you're just pissed 'cuz he likes Aerith." Rude grinned.

At that, Zack stood up. "You're all mental. That's like saying that Cloud likes Tifa. Jeez." He grabbed his tray and stormed off into the crowd of people.

Reno burst into a fit of laughter. "Rude—you did it! Made him shut up. Good job!"

Cloud scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. Zack was still in the dark about his feelings for Tifa, and that probably meant that everyone else was, too. Which was a good thing; a girl like Tifa wouldn't see anything in a guy like himself, he though. She could have _anyone_ at that school. People were constantly asking her out for dates. Hearing other guys flirt with her made Cloud's blood boil, but most of the time she just brushed if off.

"Do you think he likes Cissnei?" Yuffie suddenly asked.

Vincent rolled his eyes. "That's none of your concern."

"Aw, c'mon, that'd be cute." Yuffie insisted. "And he asked her to dinner a while ago. Remember?"

"He asked what?" Aerith sat up straight. "Yuffie?"

Tifa gave her friend a warm look. "He was just being Zack. You know how he gets sometimes. He even asked me out once. But that was in grade eight."

Cloud clenched his hands into fists. "Everyone does stupid things in grade eight. Everyone's so unsure. They just want to fit in."

"Exactly. Thanks, Cloud." Tifa smiled at him, making his stomach flip. "We should all get our stuff ready. Looks like third period's going to start soon."

* * *

><p>When the last bell of the day rang, Zack tore off down the hallway and grabbed his cleats from his locker. Cloud walked at a normal pace, but when he neared his own locker, he was rushed by Zack.<p>

"C'mon! We've gotta be the first ones there—y'know, make a good impression on Coach Hewley." He grabbed him by the arm after he'd shut his locker, and began pulling him down the hallway and out of the door leading to the track outside.

By the time they made it there, five other boys were already lined up beside Coach Hewley. At lunch, Cloud and Zack had changed into their gym strip (if it weren't for the uniforms, Cloud knew that Zack would have worn his all day).

"Hey, Zack!" A guy with a hat waved. The shadow from the bill covered half of his face, so Cloud couldn't see what he really looked like. "Oh, hi. I'm Kunsel." He smiled at Cloud.

"Cloud Strife." He said, joining the line with Zack. "What position do you play?"

He was sort of tall, though Zack was taller, and lean. _Not a quarterback, I hope…_

"Oh, long snapper. What about you?"

"Quarterback, usually." Cloud said, feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to compete with another person for the spot.

Kunsel nodded. "Ah. Well, good luck on that. Maybe this year Coach'll have a reason to kick those assholes off of the team. No one else could really compete with them last year, or the year before."

"Yeah, I heard." Cloud said.

Coach Hewley blew his silver whistle a few minutes later. To Cloud's surprise, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo were nowhere to be found.

"All of you line up behind these cones. We're going to do some drills, then I'll test you on your speed and desired position. Got it?"

Right after he'd spoken did the three of them show up. And they looked as if they were right on time, not a care in the world. Coach Hewley didn't even say anything, he just checked his clipboard.

The thirty odd boys stood in single file, each of them running through the cones like it was nothing. But, the second time around, Coach Hewley threw footballs at them, expecting them to be caught. A few of the guys there dropped them or missed them completely, but for the most part it was simple.

Then it was the partner tests, where you'd throw the ball between each other and try to punt it through the field goals.

Cloud went with some grade eleven guy he'd never seen before, easily tossing the football to him each time. He managed to get a clean shot at the ball and kick it straight through the goals.

After everyone had gone a few times, and they had done four laps around the track, Hewley made them get into groups based upon the position they wanted. Kunsel went to the snapper spot, and Zack went to the wide receiver spot—but only Kadaj and Cloud were in line for Quarterback.

"Oh, Nibelheim, _you_ want to be QB, too?" He laughed. "Gaia, this should be easy."

Cloud glared. "And what if I make it?"

"You won't. So, maybe you should just leave. I mean, you're not going to get what you want out of this." He said, still grinning. "Come on—I wouldn't want you to go home crying, or anything."

"We'll see." He turned away from Kadaj and kept his eyes on the field.

It took a while before Coach Hewley finally called on them. They showed him their throws, passes, and how good they were in scrimmage (Coach Hewley had chosen both Kunsel and Zack to play alongside him; Cloud took this as a good sign for them). When Cloud returned to the sidelines, he could hear the others whispering about him. He couldn't clearly make out what they were saying, but he hoped that he'd been better than Kadaj.

The scrimmage ended the tryouts, and Coach Hewley told them that the team players would be posted at eight AM the next morning.

Cloud left with Zack, returning into the school to grab their backpacks and homework. Along the way, Cloud noticed Zack looking at him funny. "What? Was I okay?"

"Didn't you see how Kadaj was looking at you? He was so scared! Damn, if you didn't get the position it would be like Coach was sabotaging us." Zack clapped him on the back. "You're in, buddy! Gaia this is great! No more of that jerk Kadaj's crap. But you know what the best part of being on the team is?"

"Uh, playing football?"

"No, but that's pry second. The chicks. They go crazy over the quarterback. Jeez, you'll be beating them off with a stick!" Zack laughed. "Cheerleaders are great, too."

"Oh yeah?" Maybe he'd have a shot with Tifa, after all? But she didn't seem to be interested in the whole _jock_ thing. In fact, Cloud couldn't even really tell what she _was_ into. Someone with a motorcycle? He then considered riding his dad's beat up old bike to school, instead of having him drop him off every morning.

"You walking home, Cloud?" Zack asked, tearing him from his thoughts.

He nodded. "Yeah. I don't live too far away. Within a reasonable distance of yours' and Aerith's cul-de-sac. By the market."

"Oh, so you live by Tifa and Vincent, then, right?"

"What, really?" Cloud had never seen Tifa on the way home, and when they'd gone to the park to play soccer last night, she'd taken off on her motorcycle.

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah. They live around the same place. Same street."

There was a long silence before Zack spoke up again. "We're friends, right?"

Cloud threw him a confused look.

"What do you think of Aerith?"

"Oh—I see what this is. You're trying to figure out if I like her, too. Right?" He laughed. "She's nice, but—"

"Whadda ya mean _'too'_?" Zack said. "I never said _I_ liked her. Maybe I'm just trying to help _you_ out."

"Sure, Zack. I think she's nice, but I could never like her more than as a friend."

"Why?"

_For starters I might be in love with Tifa._ "I've only known her for two days, but she's kind of protective and mother hen-ish, don't you find?"

"With some people," Zack agreed. "Well you must like someone?"

"Did Yuffie put you up to this? It seems like something she'd be asking."

He held his hands up, all defensive, like he had before. "Just curious is all. Maybe I could help. C'mon. Someone you find hot. Yuffie?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. Well—no."

"Good. Vince would break your kneecaps. He may not seem like her boyfriend at times, but he really likes her. What about Cissnei? Think she's cute?"

"Zack, if you want to help me you'll stop." Cloud said and walked faster. Zack took a few big strides and jogged alongside him easily.

"You _do_ like someone? It couldn't be a girl from back home, otherwise you'd tell me….A girl from one of your classes? Who? Trust me, Cloud, I know every girl in our grade and then some. I'll figure this out some time or another."

"Oh, jeez. I'll just tell you if that's what's going to make you stop talking." Cloud sighed. "It's—"

"Guys! Wait up!" A cheery voice called from behind them. Both Zack and Cloud turned, finding Tifa and Aerith running towards them.

"I thought you two would have gone home by now?" Zack said. "It's like five or something, isn't it?"

"Aerith had to finish her textiles project." Tifa explained. "Mr. Rhapsodus asked her where she got her dress."

"That was when we left." Aerith giggled. "Did tryouts go well?" She smiled at Zack.

"Cloud kicked butt! You should've seen him! He had Kadaj so mad." Zack ruffled Cloud's hair. "He's _so_ our new quarterback!"

Tifa grinned. "That's great, Cloud! And of course you're still the starting wide receiver?"

Zack nodded. "As always."

"Starting? You mean that they have back-ups?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. I guess the shitty part is Kadaj'll still make the team." Zack shrugged. "Don't worry, Cloud. If he tries anything on you, I'm here."

Tifa put her hand on his shoulder. "We'll kick his ass. But you pry wouldn't need help, would you?"

Cloud smiled at her, and from over her head he could see Zack laugh. He mouthed _Tifa? Really?_ And winked.

The four walked together until Zack and Aerith saw their cul-de-sac ahead. Together, the crossed the street, waving good bye to their friends, leaving Cloud and Tifa alone.

He wondered if Zack would tell anyone now that he'd figured out how he felt, but shot down the idea quickly. He didn't seem like the type. "So, Cloud?"

"Huh?"

"Are you going to go to the dance next Friday?" Tifa asked.

"Wait—what? You have a dance? My school only does the prom."

She crossed her arms. "Oh. Well, it's for the grade elevens and twelve's. They do it so everyone gets to know each other better. You'll go, right?"

"Do we have to wear anything fancy?" He asked. "Or go with someone?"

"No. But the girls usually go in dresses. Aerith wants to take me shopping tomorrow, oh Gaia." She laughed. "And you can go stag. I mean, all you do is talk to people, really." Tifa stopped.

"What?"

"Nothing, this is my house. See you at school tomorrow." She waved. "Good luck with the team!"

When she shut the door, Cloud began to walk again, but this time with more of a happy beat to his step.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the other chapters being so long. I felt that all of my crap was necessary but not I feel that it was just banter. This is just going to be fluff, really. I just **_**have**_** to get it out. I need a cutesy couple in this fic! Right NOW! Sorry. I'm very strange. Ignore me!**

**Cloud: **Do I get to ride a motorcycle in this chapter?

**Me: **HOLD THE FRIG ON.

**Zack: **Do I get to ride a motorcycle in this fic?

**Me: **Not unless you wanna ride with Cloud on his motorcycle.

**Zack: **No Clack!

* * *

><p><strong>3<strong>

As much as he wanted to go to school early to see the football results, Cloud had to stay home until Tifa was outside so she would see him on his father's motorcycle. It would all be pointless If she didn't.

His cell phone rang, and he immediately answered it. "Yeah?"

"Cloud! Where the hell are you! It's up!" Zack shouted. Cloud had to hold the phone away from his ear so he wouldn't go deaf. "Come on, man. I gotta hug you."

"Hng?" He rubbed his eyes sleepily. He was only half dressed at the time, and still tired. "What? Why?"

"Are you serious? You're the starting quarterback, duh!" Zack's voice was much quieter this time, since he'd most likely been silenced by someone at the school.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't have said you did if you didn't! Come over here, Cloud. Kadaj and the other two freaks are here. You should _see_ their faces." Zack was trying to stifle his laughter.

"In a few minutes. I have to go now, see you there."

"Wait, about this Tifa thing—"

Cloud glanced out his window and saw Tifa (very clearly) in her bedroom. She was grabbing her textbooks when she noticed him staring at her. "Shit."

"Ah, what? I won't tell anyone. Don't worry. You're my friend, right?" Zack was speaking but Cloud could hardly hear him over the sound of his racing heart. He awkwardly waved at Tifa from his window. She signaled for him to open it like she had.

They were only a few feet away from each other when he leaned out of his window to see her. "Oh, hi. I didn't know that we were neighbours." Cloud said.

"I should have guessed when you were the only new kid at our school."

"Whoa, man! Tifa's your neighbour? Talk about lucky!" Zack's loud voice came from the phone, and Cloud snapped it shut.

"Was that Zack? Is he at the school now?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah he phoned me telling me I made it."

"Cloud that's wonderful!" She exclaimed. She tried to hug him, but they were just a little too far apart. "Hey, do you want to walk together? I'm leaving now, and you probably should, too. Zack'll come to your house and drag you there if you don't go soon, it looks like."

"You're not going to take your motorcycle?"

"I can't. One of the tires is flat," she sighed. "So looks like I'm walking everywhere now."

His heart skipped a beat, and he could hear Zack telling him: 'Just go for it, man.' Cloud scratched his head, not looking her in the eye. "I could take you on my motorcycle."

She smiled smugly. "Are you hitting on me?"

"What? No! I just—"

"I was kidding! Sure I'll go with you." She leaned back into her room. "Meet you outside, okay?" With that she closed her window.

Cloud started up the motorcycle. It wasn't anything compared to Tifa's, but it still worked.

He rode it out of the garage and pulled up in front of her house, where she was waiting for him by the door. Tifa swung her bag over her shoulder and climbed on behind him. "Nice ride."

"Yeah? Thanks."

Tifa wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, and together they tore off down the road.

* * *

><p>When word had spread that Cloud was the new quarterback, everyone knew who he was. He wasn't "Nibelheim" anymore. He was Cloud Strife—the guy who replaced Kadaj, and for now, the most popular guy at school.<p>

And that was just after one day of the team list being posted. He wondered what it would be like after the first game.

"Practices are after school Mondays and Wednesdays, we have games on Thursdays." Zack told him. "Jeez, this'll be fun."

"Here comes Kadaj." Vincent said and nodded further down the hallway.

"Looks like you got the position, Nibelheim." He glared. "Conrads. Let's hope that you stay healthy all season, right?" With a sneer he trudged off into the big crowd by their lockers.

Tifa shook her head. "What a creep. Like we said, Cloud, we'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't mess with you."

Throughout the day, he was either getting loving stares from girls or angry looks from Loz, Kadaj, and Yazoo. And at lunch, Cloud had to dodge an apple flying at his head.

"Looks like you're gonna have a tough year," Rude said. "You heard about the last guy who _tried_ to take Kadaj's place, right?"

Cloud nodded warily. "Y-Yeah."

"Come on, guys. No big deal. We're not going to let anything happen to him. There's lots of us—only three of them, right?" Tifa noted. "Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah. Nothing." Cloud rested his head on his hand.

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith were happily chattering away about the dresses they planned to wear to the dance next week. Strangely enough, Aerith turned to Cloud and invited him to come along with them. "It'll be fun! Zack and Vincent are going, too."<p>

"Uh…" He tried to think of a good excuse to not go, but Zack grabbed his arm and nodded.

"He's coming."

When everyone had begun their way to the front doors, Zack whispered to Cloud: "If Yuffie keeps Vincent busy, and I keep Aerith busy—who'll that leave you with?"

Cloud frowned. "She's not stupid, Zack. She might notice what you're doing."

"No big deal. I have reason to believe that she kind of likes you, too." When Zack spoke, Aerith had looked back over her shoulder at him and smiled.

"You _told_ Aerith!" Cloud said harshly. "I thought you said that you wouldn't tell _anyone_!"

"I figured that if Aerith—Tifa's best friend—knew, then it'd be easier to set you guys up." Zack said innocently. "What harm could it be?"

He clenched his teeth, but soon figured that Zack was right. "She won't say anything?"

"Not a word! I promise. Besides, if she tells anyone I'll just tell people what she said to me." Zack grinned. "She said that Tifa thinks your cute, but she wants to get to know you some more. And since you live right beside each other that shouldn't be too hard, should it?"

Cloud looked at him. "How'd you get Aerith to tell you that? She seems pretty tight-lipped about Tifa."

Zack's face grew red. "I brought her some flowers and told her that it would help you two out. Her mom thought I was coming to propose or something. That woman scares me, I'll tell you."

* * *

><p>The clothing shop wasn't huge, but it still had a vast selection of fancy dresses and suits. The three girls ran straight towards the back, where all of the formal dresses were displayed.<p>

"What do you wear to this type of dance?" Cloud asked. "She said it was informal."

"Informal to us could differ from what someone from Nibelheim might think." Vincent said. "Informal here means that your tie doesn't have to match your date's dress."

Cloud was shocked, but Vincent was probably right. "So, you've got to wear a suit?"

"You don't have to, but you should. At least dress pants and a blazer. But yeah—suit." Zack added. "Come on. Vince and I'll help you choose what to wear." He pulled him over to the girls. Beside the dresses were a few styles of suits, all of which were too expensive for Cloud's budget.

"I think I'll just wear one of my dad's old ones." Cloud dropped the price tag and took a step away from the suits.

"You can pry borrow one of my old ones," Zack told him. "I've got three, I think. I won't miss it."

Cloud smiled. "Thanks, Zack. But I don't know."

"Ah, come on. I'll show you them after this, alright?"

"Zack? Do you like this dress?" Aerith chirped from about ten feet away. Zack grinned and made his way over to her. She had on a pink dress that came down to her knees, with thick straps. It wasn't very fancy; there was no beading or any sort of pattern on it.

He picked her up and spun her around without thinking. Once he put her down again, Zack dropped his gaze. "Sorry. Uh, yeah. I like it. Do you want to go buy it?"

"Don't be sorry. I'm still not sure on it, though."

"What's not to be sure about? You look bea—you look great. Come on. Let's go get it, hm?" Zack looked back at Cloud and gave him a big smile.

When Aerith came back from the change room in her white dress, she and Zack left, discreetly holding hands. "Why don't they just date already?" Tifa asked.

Her voice nearly gave Cloud a heart attack, and when he spun around to face her, he nearly lost his breath. "Uh…yeah. I think they are and they just haven't told anyone yet."

She laughed. "You might be right about that. Whadda ya think?" Tifa did a twirl in her maroon coloured dress. It clung to her body, leaving nothing really to the imagination.

Cloud found himself to be at a loss for words. "I…like it. Yeah. It's nice."

"Nice." Tifa said. "I was heading for more of a _beautiful_, but it'll do. Think I should get it?"

He nodded. "You look great."

"That's better." She flicked her long hair over her shoulder. "Where's everyone?"

Zack and Aerith were in line together at the front of the store, but Cloud couldn't see Vincent or Yuffie anywhere. "Oh, I know." Tifa laughed. "They're _making out_." She raised her voice and walked over to one of the change rooms.

Without saying another word, she pulled back the navy curtain revealing both Vincent and Yuffie doing exactly that. They parted the second Tifa saw them, and Vincent took the curtain from her. "Excuse us." He shut it again.

Tifa walked back over to Cloud, and they shared a laugh. "You hardly ever see that."

"What, Vincent acting like a regular teenager?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. Wow."

She headed back into the changing room and came out with the red dress over her shoulder. "I think this one's fine, don't you?"

"Yeah. Hey, where'd Zack and Aerith go?" He noticed the empty till.

Tifa gestured towards the changing rooms on the other side of the store. "That's my guess. Do you want to see if they're in there?"

"Well I was supposed to go to Zack's place after this, and I'm not going to wait for him." Cloud said, attempting to make himself feel okay with walking in on them.

Sure enough, in the only occupied room, Aerith had her arms around Zack's neck and was being lifted off of the ground by him.

"Oh hey, guys." Zack said when he put her down.

"Aerith!" Tifa said. "You weren't going to tell me that you're dating Zack? I thought we told each other everything."

She still had her fingers laced together with Zack's when she bowed her head. "You're right, Tifa. I should have told you."

"No need to get all sad. I know now." Tifa grabbed Aerith's arm and pulled her away from Zack, dragging to the checkout. Both girls were now engaged in a fit of laughter.

Cloud raised his eyebrows at Zack. "How long's this been going on?"

"Last night. We didn't want anyone to know yet. I mean, the group took the whole 'Vincent and Yuffie' thing pretty badly. They wouldn't leave them alone for weeks." Zack crossed his arms. "But you'd better tell _me_ when you and Teef start dating."

"I've known her for three days. I don't think she wants to date me yet."

"Didn't you give her a ride to school on your motorcycle?" Zack smiled. "That's a start."

* * *

><p><strong>This one was a little shorter than the others (thank goodness) mainly because I have writer's block and I am going crazy atm.<strong>

**Please rate and review it would make me very happy!**

**Hugs and kisses! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this chapter took **_**so**_** freaking long. Really. I got sidetracked doing nothing all day. And Tumblr. Always a distraction. I got too caught up in RPs and crap haha. Welp, onto the story!**

* * *

><p><strong>4<strong>

Over the next week, Cloud was surprised to find that he hadn't been harassed by Kadaj and his brothers. Not even Loz, who was _on_ the football team didn't speak to him at the practices.

"I don't know." Aerith shrugged. "Maybe they've just given up?"

"That doesn't sound like them to me," Tseng said in Chemistry class. "They're planning something."

It was Friday, and of course that meant that the dance was at seven O'clock that evening. Cloud had once of Zack's older suits at home, laid out on his bed—and he still hadn't had enough courage to ask Tifa to go with him. A few other girls had asked _him_, but he'd turned them all down.

At six-thirty, his phone rang. "Yeah?"

"Wanna carpool?" It was Zack on the other end. "Or are you riding that fancy motorcycle of yours?"

"I was going to drive Tifa there, yeah." He waved out the window to her while she was getting ready in her bedroom.

He laughed. "Ah, I see. So you _are_ going together, then? Well Aerith, Vince, Yuffie, and I were all going in a car together just in case something goes wrong, alright?"

They said their good byes and hung up shortly after. Cloud moved to his window and opened it, waiting for Tifa to do the same. "You look wonderful," he told her.

"Thanks, Cloud. You look like a blond Zack." She giggled when she saw his unsure expression. "No, you're cuter than Zack."

"Ah, well. Aerith doesn't think so." Cloud tried to hide the fact that he was becoming beet red.

"What's it matter what Aerith thinks? What? You like her?" She laughed. "Better not tell Zack—he'll cut you in half."

Cloud cleared his throat. "Hng, no. I don't like Aerith, she's with Zack, anyway. It doesn't matter. Besides, I've only known her for a little more than a week. She's nice, that's all."

"Oh, yeah? And what do you think of me?" Tifa suddenly demanded.

"Should we go now?" He winked, regaining his calmness.

She nodded and closed her curtains.

Cloud was surprised to find her already at his door waiting for him. "Eager much?" He laughed.

Tifa sneered and hopped onto the motorcycle, clinging to him as they tore off down the road. In only minutes they were at the front of the school, where about twenty other cars were parked. "Gaia, some of these people really drive fancy cars, huh?" Cloud asked as he helped Tifa from the bike.

"Yeah, yeah." She brushed her hands over her dress. "Did Zack say that he was leaving soon?"

"He said he was coming here with Yuffie and Vincent." Cloud shrugged, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocked as he did. "That's pry him now."

"Damn does my suit look good on you, ya little chocobo-head!" Zack's loud voice echoed from behind him, and Cloud spun around to see he and the three others waving at him. "And _boy_ does Tifa look _fine_."

Aerith shoved him when he said that, frowning. Zack pocketed the phone and scooped her up off of her feet, then walked over to them. "Ready to go in? It's a little early, but that way we can get a table, right?"

Cloud threw a questioning look at Vincent, who was already engaged in conversation with Yuffie. "Vinnie, are you going to dance this time? Come on, please?" She whined.

He took her hand and they followed Zack. "I don't dance."

Tifa grinned and nodded at him. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Inside, one of the gyms was decorated with streamers and flashing lights, but not much else which was odd for a wealthy school, Cloud thought. There were tons of round tables, and a few long ones with food on them (Zack headed straight for the food, of course).

At exactly seven, once everyone was seated at a table, the principal and vice principal stepped up to the microphone.

"We'd like to thank everyone for coming out to this event, taking time out of your busy lives and homework." Hojo said. "And we'd also like to start the evening with a dance before dinner."

They moved off to the sides of the gym to stand with the other chaperones and teachers, soon the microphone was taken away, the music began, and all of Cloud's friends had relocated themselves to the dance floor.

It was a slower song, he had to admit, and asking Tifa to dance would just be awkward. Though, not as awkward as Tseng and Cissnei tripping over eachother's feet every few minutes.

After the first song ended both Reno and Rude took seats at the table where Cloud sat. "Oh, Gaia, spike. You're lucky your parents ain't chaperones." Reno rubbed his forehead.

"What? Yours are?"

Rude pointed to two burly looking men, a blond and a black guy. "Yep."

"Cid and Barret? The gay guys?" Cloud said, a hint of surprise in his tone. Never woulda guessed… "That's cool."

Reno sighed. "It's embarrassing, yo."

Aerith sat down in a huff. "Where's Tifa?"

Cloud nodded to the dance floor, where she had her arms wrapped around some other senior. "There. Where's Zack?"

She glanced over her shoulder and stared at him while he was laughing with a blond haired girl. "He'd be right there."

"Oh so since you're not dancing with anyone, how's about you an' I go together?" Reno held out his hand to her. To Cloud's astonishment, she took his offer and they headed for the crowd of people together.

From where he sat, Cloud could see Zack immediately run over to them and begin arguing with Reno. He grabbed Aerith by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug shortly after. Reno shrugged and walked back to the table. "I don't see how a nice girl like that can date someone like him."

"And you're any better?" Rude asked.

After twenty minutes of slow dancing, Reno and Rude left to the buffet tables, and a few of Cloud's friends returned to him.

Zack was eating with one hand, the other was around Aerith; Yuffie and Vincent were holding hands under the table, but Tifa was still dancing. Zack threw him an eager look and gestured towards her. Cloud glared back, but his attention was easily diverted when he saw Kadaj and Yazoo approaching.

"Oh so look who came to the dance in a second-hand suit."

"You really want to give people the impression that Midgar High's poor? You really are a country boy, huh?" Yazoo laughed.

Just then, Tifa marched over to them, a strange look on her face. "What do you want with him?" She demanded.

"Getting your girlfriend to stand up for you, Nibelheim?" Kadaj sniggered. "Not cool." He shoved her out of the way so nothing stood between he and Cloud.

"Leave him alone!" Aerith piped up from the table. She stood and crossed her arms, Zack mirrored her.

By then half of the student's eyes were on them; silently watching. "Oh, another girl? Come on, Nibelheim…" Yazoo said. The second he raised his hands to push her, Zack punched him.

"Uh, that's pry a bad idea there." He grinned. "Either sit down, or I'll kick your ass."

Kadaj sneered and moved closer to him, but Zack stood his ground and didn't flinch. He kept his head up and arms crossed. "What, Fair? You're gonna kick _my_ ass? Ha." He pushed him into the table, making it fall over onto Vincent and Yuffie who jumped up angrily.

Zack lunged at him, tackling him onto the ground. If it weren't for Aerith yelling at him to stop punching, Zack would have broken Kadaj's nose.

When Zack had stood up, helped Kadaj up apologetically, and turned his back, Yazoo struck Cloud from behind, sending him toppling into Vincent. Both boys stood in a huff. Vincent glared at the silver haired guys in front of them but restrained himself from making any rash moves.

Zack put his arm around Aerith and began to walk away with Vincent and Yuffie when they heard Kadaj yell out: "Nibelheim scum!"

Cloud spun around and punched him, breaking out a smaller brawl. Yazoo and Kadaj were beating him up very easily until Zack helped him, and then Reno and Rude, and finally even Vincent.

But as soon as the fight had started, the five of them had been kicked out of the dance by the Vice Principal Sephiroth.

"Well…" Zack sighed and sat down on the pavement. "Guess we should just wait here until the dance is over. So we can give the girls rides home, right?"

Reno shrugged. "We're goin' home, yo. See ya." He took off with Rude in a car parked not too far away.

Only a few minutes later did the school's gym doors open, revealing Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie.

"What?" Cloud turned around. "You all left, too?"

"Well duh. We weren't going to just leave you boys all alone were we?" Tifa sat next to Cloud and smiled.

"Come on, let's just all get back home." Aerith took Zack's hand in hers, pulling him to his feet. They were almost comical when together, Cloud thought. He towered over her and had to bend down to kiss her lips; it didn't help that Zack was so clumsy, either. He looked silly when he bowed his head way down and kissed her.

He stood straight next to Tifa, trying to measure their height difference. He was a little taller, but not by much. No…when they kissed it would look beautiful—Cloud shook his head. "Eugh, Teef, are you going to go with me?"

She laughed. "Of course. I wouldn't leave you all alone."

"Hey, let's see who can get home fastest. I mean, we're dropping Vince off on the same street!" Aerith chirped. Zack beamed at her and nodded.

Cloud smirked. "It's a race, then."

"I don't like the sound of this…" Vincent muttered while climbing in the Zack's car.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh jeez sorry that this was so rushed and awful and stupid, but it was kind of a filler. x( Please keep reading and rating and reviewing! Thanks you guys!<strong>


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